Takaichi Cabinet's Approval Rate Almost Flat at 59.4 Pct: Jiji Poll

Tokyo, May 21 (Jiji Press)--Public support for Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's cabinet inched up 0.3 percentage point from the previous month to 59.4 pct in May, a monthly survey by Jiji Press showed Thursday.

According to the May survey, conducted for four days through Monday, the proportion of respondents who did not support the cabinet edged up 0.5 point to 19.7 pct.

Asked about reasons for supporting the Takaichi cabinet, with multiple answers allowed, 30.5 pct said the prime minister displays leadership, and 18.9 pct said that they trust Takaichi. Respondents who answered that her cabinet made a good impression, and there is no one else suitable to be prime minister, accounted for 16.3 pct each.

These figures suggest that the high standard of the cabinet approval rate has been underpinned by a support for Takaichi herself, since she took office seven months ago as of Thursday.

On the other hand, the most common reasons for disapproving of the Takaichi cabinet were that the prime minister cannot be trusted, given by 7.7 pct, that the cabinet is not promising, cited by 7.3 pct, and that her policies are bad, chosen by 6.9 pct.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]